That Time Old Feeling
by Hoshi Tenshi
Summary: A shadowy secret in the transferring of Clow Reed's power to Sakura. A new responsibilty that could tear Sakura and Syaoran apart whether it be before or after they realize their feelings for each other. Should they choose to defy it, death would be the c
1. Saigo No Shinpan. Gambatte Ne, Sakura!

That Time Old Feeling  
By Hoshi Tenshi  
  
~Prologue~  
[Saigo No Shinpan. Gambatte Ne, Sakura!]  
  
Mizuki Kaho walked down the street towards Seijou High. She was supposed to meet Touya after his afternoon classes. Even if she had already stopped teaching as a substitute, Kaho could not help but want to see the intriguing young man again.   
  
She held in her arms a fresh bouquet of lilies. They had been displayed so beautifully in the nearby flower shop that the miko had decided to buy them for Touya.   
  
Humming lightly, she paused to stand at a red light at the road. Kaho peered down at the snow white blossoms cradled in her arms.   
  
"Kaho!" a deep, male voice called to her from across the street.   
  
Looking up, she could see a grinning Touya balancing his books in one hand and waving with the other. Giggling, she waved back, and as the light turned green, she started to dash across, to throw herself into his arms.  
  
She never saw the truck barreling towards her.   
  
By the time she saw the blinding headlights and heard the frantic honking of the driver, it was too late.   
  
"Kaho! IIE!!" Touya's pain filled scream echoed down the street, as Kaho's bouquet fell to the ground after her body.   
  
Innocent white petals fluttered weakly to the concrete-- contrasting grotesquely with the crimson drops of life that decorated them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Jan-pu!" Sakura commanded. Transparent wings sprouted from the heels of her shoes and Sakura leaped high above the ground.   
  
Yue was not far behind. "Time to end this," he said softly, his expression unreadable.  
  
Sakura's mind raced. *I can't attack him! Even if do... I can't win...* Kero-chan had never warned her about something like this.   
  
Everything was looking more and more hopeless.  
  
*I still can't fight him--* A strong force slammed into her . The wind knocked out of her, Sakura choked and gasped on the cold concrete path leading to the temple.   
  
Her friends were beside her instantly. Kero-chan, now Cerberus, encircled her shaking body with his huge wings. "Sakura... I'm sorry. I can't help you." Sakura couldn't comfort him, couldn't tell him it wasn't his fault-- she was trembling too much to talk.   
  
Tomoyo was kneeling beside her. "Sakura-chan, daijoubu ka?!" she asked frantically. "Gomen ne. I've never felt so useless..." She broke down and wept bitterly, her smashed V8 lying unnoticed by her side.   
  
Sakura could only will Tomoyo to understand how wrong she was. Tomoyo had been her strength all the time, she did so much for her, while all Sakura could do was put her in danger. "Oh, Tomoyo-chan... I love your wonderful costumes," Sakura managed.  
  
The quietest of them all was Syaoran. He was crouched behind her, supporting her with his arms. He wasn't scowling as usual, but his brows were furrowed and he had an anguished expression on his face.   
  
Finally, "I should have helped you instead of competing against you," he said simply. His fingers tightened around her arms.  
  
This was too much.   
  
Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yamate," she whispered. Then, she yelled it louder. "Yamate!" startling everyone around her.   
  
"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo questioned timidly  
  
Sakura dashed some tears off her cheeks. "Do you know have any idea how much all of mean to me?!" she cried. "Kero-chan, Tomoyo-chan, and Syaoran-kun, all of you have been my strength and my best friends. You are like family to me. As much as otou-san and onii-chan!"   
  
I wanted to be a good card captor, for you guys, if no one else...cause everyone tried so hard to help me. But...I..." she paused and caught her breath, now coming in short gasps. "The only irresponsible and foolish one here is me."   
  
Sakura staggered up on weak legs. Everyone tried to protest, but she silenced them with a shaky upraised hand.   
  
"Iie. I'm gonna try my best to win this on my own. I have to do it by myself." Looking behind her shoulder with a sad smile on her face, she said, "Thank you, so very much." She looked deep into each of their eyes. Cerberus' blazing goldens, Tomoyo-chan's tearful violets, and Syaoran's once fierce-- but now resigned --fawn-colored ones.   
  
Sakura looked back apologetically. Then with a determined grip on her staff, she turned around. She strode, with unsteady steps, towards the impatient final adjudicator.   
  
"Are you ready?" he asked coolly.   
  
"Hai," she answered simply. "Powers of darkness hidden within this staff, I ask you to gather inside the strength of this Clow Card! Wu-di! Become a reprimanding chain and bind the one who stands before me!"   
  
She didn't hear Kero-chan wailing, "Yada! The full moon!" behind her.   
  
The magic circle of Clow Reed shimmered golden on the ground under her, humming with power. She struck the face of the card with her staff. Vines suddenly shot out and filled up the space around her. As the foliage surrounded her, Sakura was in shock; instead of capturing Yue, they seemed to explode from all sides and bind _her_ in their leaves.   
  
Writhing painfully as the Clow Card suspended her in mid-air, she winced as she felt the plants' grip tighten around her.   
  
Yue leisurely approached her on his magnificent wings now. His pale, beautiful face held no emotion, as he drifted towards her. Sakura jerked around in vain, as her heart plummeted in her chest. She had failed.   
  
Yue ignored Kero's pleading and demanding as he closed his eyes in meditation.   
  
On the ground below the Card Captor, Tomoyo collapsed to her knees, ignoring the stinging pain as her flesh hit the coarse ground. *Iie! I don't want to lose Sakura-chan!* she screamed in her mind. Tears didn't stop flowing, even as the lap of her dress grew damp. *This can't be happening. It can't!* Sakura had been everything to her... The sister she never had. And she loved her more than anything else in the world, in more ways than one.  
  
Syaoran looked away, his eyes shut tightly, and his fist clenched, until his short fingernails drew blood. He had never felt so damn useless! *There is nothing I can do...nothing...!* There never was anyone else in the world like her. *Don't leave us, dammit!* To his horror, he felt tears prickling his eyes, but he didn't even try to hold them back.   
  
Cerberus stopped his raging and hung his head low, ignoring the tightness in his chest and the rising tears. *She deserves to be the Card Mistress. No one can love them as much as she does.* He snarled at Yue uncharacteristically. Why did that baka have to be so damned cold-blooded? *Sakura...if you forget me, who's going to cook me your special pancakes? Who's going to laugh and joke with me? And who will I have to wait for to come home after school? Who...?*  
  
When Yue opened his eyes, he spoke slowly and quietly. "I, Yue, as the Final Judge, did not recognize Kinomoto Sakura as the new Card Mistress." He went on, as tears trickled down Sakura's cheeks. She couldn't even wipe them away with her hands and arms trapped.   
  
"I shall now bring disaster upon the world," he finished, raising a pale hand in the air in front of Sakura's forehead. She closed her eyes firmly, squeezing out more tears.   
  
As Yue's magic started to penetrate her, she felt a strange burning entering, deep into her chest, encircling her body in a cavity of warmth.   
  
A desperate cry of a voice, a voice she had known-- perhaps once in a dream --was heard. "Iie! This is not the way it was meant to be! YAMATE!!" It was a low voice of a man. His voice held a foreign tone on the edges, and he sounded wise.   
  
Every word held power in them. It brought her back from the dark oblivion she was falling into steadily, and lifted her away. Before she could wonder to whom the voice belonged to and what he was doing, everything went black.  
  
[End of Prologue]  
  
AN: #1. Konnichi wa minna! Hoshi Tenshi here, with yet _another_ revamping of That Time Old Feeling... or as I affectionately call it, TOFU. [The 'U' stands for 'unfinished.' I have a feeling it'll stay that way... Depends on the number of reviews...=]  
  
I really thought I gotta make the plot and conflict clearer...so I'm fixing it. This version's 3.0. I'm pretty sure. There are small and big differences!   
  
#2. ...You hate me for killing Kaho, ne? ::cries:: I hate myself too...but that's one part I wanted to keep! Gomen... If Kaho stayed alive, Sakura would have completed the Final Judgment successfully, and this story wouldn't happen. Obviously, this is an AS (Alternate Situation) fic.  
  
#3. BGM for this chapter-- But of course, the battle themes from the 3rd CCS OST! =]   
  
#4. Thanks for reading! Demo, the prologue is only a taste of the beginning~ don't forget to come back for the real thing minna! ^_^ Questions to me at [Hoshi_no_Tenshi@hotmail.com]!   
  
Review, review, review. C'mon...u kno u wanna try out this new pop-up type of commenting... ::nudges:: ^_^ 


	2. To Meet With You Again

That Time Old Feeling  
By Hoshi Tenshi  
  
~Chapter 1~  
[To Meet With You Again]  
  
Syaoran yawned and tumbled out of bed. He padded over to the window and threw open the drapes and veranda door. Sunlight poured in, illuminating the entire apartment. He felt the cool breeze ruffle his hair gently. (K-kakkoii...a shirtless Syaoran...lolz)  
  
The cold and warmth mingled and caressed his chest and arms. It felt wonderful; one of those indesribable sensations you get now and then. Getting up early in the morning and not being the slightest bit tired was one.   
  
He walked towards his kitchen and poured some freshly brewed coffee into his mug. Deeply inhaling and savoring the rich scent, Syaoran took a small sip. He felt relaxed, yet energetic.   
  
There was something buzzing in the air. Something special, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the crossroads of Time streams and paths to dimensions, a rather young looking mage tiredly rubbed his temples. His eyes looked so much older than his other physical features. Thousands of years showed in the deep cobalt pools.  
  
"It is no use... her destiny has been woven much too securely...there is nothing more I can do for her..." he buried his face in his calloused palms. "I do not know what more _to_ do, I've already ruined too many things for her..."   
  
He sat back in his chair and glanced down at Cerberus, who had been silently watching his master's attempts of re-weaving different magic into the fabrics of Fate. It was the pattern of a certain special young girl; Kinomoto Sakura, to be exact.  
  
"I still believe she will forgive you, Clow. She has a loving and kind heart-- she'll know you didn't mean to weigh her shoulders down with such duties," he rumbled, golden eyes blazing in memory of the Card Captor he himself had chosen as candidate.   
  
Clow Reed smiled; a smile filled with self-scorn. "Don't you think I know that already? I've watched her for so long...And that's why it pains me so much, Cerberus... She will forgive me, but I cannot forgive myself for my own foolishness."   
  
He summoned his viewing orb into existence. On the surface was a young boy walking down the street, pushing his wild bangs away from his intense eyes. "The aligning of the planets, the positions of the stars, the sun, the moon... Everything is in perfect order."  
  
"As you have planned it," Cerberus nodded.  
  
"Now, I can only wait, and hope," Clow said. "My descendant's presence is in the right place and at the right time will awaken her. He will be her companion and help until--"  
  
"Until what?" Cerberus' eyes narrowed.  
  
"Until she has to take my place."   
  
The guardian beast glanced at the shining orb also. "Shikashi...why does the gaki have to be the one to awaken her?" he grumbled.   
  
Clow adverted his gaze to the tapestries of Sakura's Fate. The threads were unraveling fast...not much time left. *I'm not sure at the moment, but he is the one I chose. I trust him.*   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the front gates of Seijou High, there were gathered students chattering, joking and laughing together. It was the day before spring break, and everyone was very excited to get away from their studies and classes for a while.   
  
"I'm going up to a hot springs resort with my family for some R&R," a girl said happily.   
  
Her friend laughed and replied, "R&R! I bet you'll be too busy looking for cute guys to 'relax' _or_ 'rest,' Maaya-chan."   
  
They both erupted in giggles and the other girls in the group laughed along with them.   
  
Another bunch of guys bragged to each other about the trip to the city someone was planning.   
"We'll have a huge party the night we arrive!" Arima exclaimed.   
  
"Don't forget to bring the beer!" a partygoer cried.   
  
"Woo hoo!!" the guys whooped, pumping their fists in the air. (The usual show of male stupidit--er... I mean, manliness. ^-~)   
  
Syaoran walked by himself, avoiding the noisy crowds. *Spring break, huh,* he thought. For him, there really wasn't much _to_ do, except stay at home and read. The boy shrugged inwardly.   
It Llooked like another boring vacation.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Omigod! It's him! There he is!" A couple of freshmen girls bounced up and down shrieking at the school entrance.   
  
"Gods, he's even more perfect every time I see him..." one sighed dreamily.   
  
"I know! He's so handsome, so smart, and so athletic-- "  
  
The two friends faced each other and added simultaneously "Yet _so_ cold."   
  
Both shook their heads and sighed at the loss of _such_ a hottie. Then, the bubblier of the two brightened up. "But then again, isn't that why we all adore him so much? His 'loner' personality is just _too_ sexy!!"   
  
Both girls squealed amongst themselves all the way to HR, receiving strange looks from the other students arriving to school.   
  
A nearby senior shook his head and commented "There they go again, damn freshies. Obsessed with that junior Li-something-or-other. Just cause he's a hermit, they think he's all 'mysterious' and 'dark'... " He walked up the steps and offered to no one in particular: "Why do girls overlook all the 'real' studs around here? Like _me_ for instance."   
  
With that said, Steve quickened his steps to his own homeroom, while being pummeled by several guys and smacked by a wide variety of text books.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*And thus starts another school day,* Syaoran thought vacantly. He trudged into his first period room.   
  
All day long, he stared out the window, doodled in the margins of his loose leaf and just stared at nothing in particular.   
  
By lunchtime, he had heard from _all_ of his teachers how he was acting a bit queer today. Usually Syaoran was a hard-working student, but today he looked like he had something else distracting him.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The bell indicating the start of the lunch period echoed throughout the hallway. A low roar of talking students settled into the classrooms. The plunking of bento boxes and chopsticks followed.   
Unmoving from his own desk by the corner, Syaoran put aside the book he had been studying and dug into his book bag. He pulled out his lunch.   
  
Ripping open a crinkly package, he popped a potato chip into his mouth. Grimacing at the salty taste, he screwed open the cap of his drink and downed half the liquid.   
  
"Oi, Li!"   
  
Syaoran turned to see Akito Yun from class B next door heading towards him. "Yo." Syaoran allowed a small smile to welcome his friend. His _only_ friend, on second thought.   
  
Akito grabbed an abandoned chair and plopped down on it. "Whatcha doing?" he asked, grabbing a potato chip without asking and munching noisily.   
  
"Ah, just enjoying my gourmet meal here," Syaoran replied dryly.   
  
His friend took a glance at the plain lunch and chuckled, "That's the downs of bachelor life ol' buddy."   
  
Syaoran raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Can you run that one by me again?"   
  
Yun pointed to the bento box in his left hand. It was decorated with red and yellow flowers.   
*Obviously a girlfriend's handiwork,* Syaoran silently acknowledged.   
  
"Give up your independence and you get good food," Akito grinned, opening the bento box and popping a mini-squid into his mouth.   
  
Syaoran watched as he chewed then grimaced. Yun finally swallowed with a painful expression and remarked, "Then again, it could also mean being a guinea pig for Tsukushi's latest cooking experiments. Stay single. It lessens the chances of getting your stomach pumped."   
  
Syaoran laughed out loud as he cleaned up the rest of his lunch but an apple. "I think I'll take your word on those subjects."   
  
Akito laughed, and picked himself up from the seat. "Smart choice." He waved, and jogged out the door to look for his girlfriend.  
  
Syaoran shook his head as he caught a limpse of his friend poking fun at poor Tsukushi. Grabbing the apple from his desk, he walked out of the classroom to enjoy it outside.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As soon he had escaped the confining walls of the school, Syaoran started to walk towards the shady trees. Under a huge Japanese oak, he bit into the tart apple, he flipped out a thick book on eastern magic to the section on elements.   
  
This particular volume was a very valuable copy, passed down from Clow Reed's time in the Li clan. Growing up in a magical family got you interested in these things naturally. As he read over the selection, he memorized them unconsciously. *A bit of extra knowledge never hurt anyone* he thought, reading over enchantments under the power of the sun and the moon.   
  
Being the most well-known and widespread of eastern magic, the sun and moon were well explained and went deeply into the topic for many chapters, but one section was very broad--   
=The magic of the [Star] is an unexplained and very mysterious branch of magic. There is yet to be a possessor of this magic. But legends speak of a solitary guardian who holds and wields these powers. This complex category is the most powerful, even more so than the sun and the moon-is shines with it's own light, just like the sun's powers, but it depends immensely and reflects from the person's inner powers, as does the moon.=  
  
Syaoran mulled over this while he read on; =A very rare and fragile part of magic, it must be handled in the correct way, in order to grow. Lulled and Awakened constantly. At the moment, there is not much known about the [Star]=  
  
He frowned and tapped his finger on the page. *Why didn't I learn about this in Hong Kong?* Then again, _had_ he learned about it? Maybe he just didn't remember. *Those lessons I took back home...?* Try as he might, he just couldn't recall anything.   
  
And speaking of home... He hadn't contacted his family in years. Even with his precise memory, he could barely remember what his sisters and mother looked like. Syaoran shook his head disgustedly. His family had been very distant for quite a while now. He felt like some sort of outcast, the way they never even tried to call, and how stiff and cold sounding they were when he called first.   
  
Around his eleventh birthday, he had just about given up. He informed them of his planning to stay in Japan-- being independent by nature, he preferred life by himself --and they continued to send money, but never did they really try to communicate with him.  
  
He was broken from his reverie as he heard a shriek. It sounded like girl; a girl in trouble. Syaoran dropped his half eaten apple and book and rushed off deeper into the woods to investigate.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A white light burst out from the different portals of dimensions and realities. The different Possibilities of Fate swirled around them in a whirlwind of colors and visions.  
  
"Clow!" Cerberus snapped, urgency filling his voice. He didn't know why he felt so anxious, but he couldn't fight the feeling of something great and terrible about to happen.  
  
The magician nodded. "It is starting. I know." He prayed everything would go well. If it didn't... He shook his head despairingly. He could not muddle this a second time.   
  
Mizuki Kaho's life was already lost because of his own error. She had refused to help him to bring Sakura's Fate into play. Everything in Clow's plans had been thrown off because of that single person...and as if that wasn't enough, her rebellion had killed her.   
  
Magical powers or not, Fate didn't have any mercy for mortals that interfered with their plans.  
  
He didn't want anyone else to pay the price for his mistakes. Least of all Sakura-- who had lost so much already. Stepping back from the tapestry, he looked over his work. Threads struggled to come undone, but he had already bound them tightly.   
  
His spells would hold, until she was ready to accept her task; until he would have to pay his own price for meddling in Fate's plans... just as Mizuki Kaho had.  
  
Clow closed his eyes, emotions waging an inner battle in his soul. Sakura probably would never have dreamed what kind of commitment becoming Card mistress meant. "Hai...the Solitary Guardian of the legends..." He laughed, almost bitterly. "To think that I could have avoided this for her. If... If only Kaho..." A tear trailed down the weary man's cheek.   
  
The guardian beast shook his huge head. Clow Reed had always been a powerful magician, but of course, with power came responsibility. And with responsibility...came pain. Sakura didn't deserve a life so harsh. She was a gentle and innocent girl that should live a happy life.  
  
Of course, Cerberus did not blame his master. Clow had only thought that someone like Sakura-- someone who had such great potential --deserved great magic. He glanced at his master's trembling shoulders in pity.  
  
Yes, Clow Reed was a powerful magician. But he still was only a mere mortal man.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There was a small willow tree in a clearing, and beside it a girl could be seen, half hidden in the shadows. "Itai..." she groaned.   
  
Syaoran sighed in relief. *Might as well go and ask if she didn't break anything,* Syaoran thought, approaching the girl. "S'cuze me, miss?" he asked quietly.   
  
The golden-brown haired girl looked up immediately with a frightened expression. She staggered up from her position on the ground, pulling herself up with the tree trunk.   
  
Syaoran heard her sharp intake of breath as he sucked in a gulp of air himself. This girl was _beautiful._ Her eyes had softened to a color of crushed green velvet, and they shone with a inner light.   
  
She reached a slender hand up to her flushed face. Brushing her tousled long russet bangs and locks away, the angel spoke. "Hai, can I help you sir?" she asked.   
  
Syaoran snapped back to rigid attention. *What the hell are you doing, Li?* Since when did h notice how pretty a girl was? What has gotten into him?  
  
"Eeto...o genki desu ka? I heard a yell..." he trailed off lamely.   
  
The girl laughed. "Oh that would be me." Bowing low, she said "I'm sorry to have caused you worry." Straightening, she went on. "I'm quite all right, as you can see. I just had a bad fall."   
  
Syaoran nodded. "No trouble at all. As long as you're all right," he answered.   
  
The girl smiled. "Arigatou. Watashi wa..." she hesitated, as if struggling to remember her name.   
  
"--Kinomoto Sakura, desu. Douzo yoroshiku."   
  
[End of Chapter 1]  
  
AN: #1. Er...how is the revamping so far? ::looks nervous:: Poor Clow Reed... I always thought that there was more to him that wasn't shown in the series...so I wrote him in this angle. Honestly, Clow was a great magician and all that, but wasn't he still human? He's not immune to emotion, or making mistakes ^^   
  
Oh, and for ppl who are wondering why Clow is alive and talking... He's not. He's dead. X] It's just his spirit that remains and guards the dimensions until someone else can take over. (Who could _that_ be? ::looks innocent::)  
  
#2. Mua hahaha~ insertions of Angel nee-chan (who is now, chibitenshi! ^-^) and my very own Kero-chan, Steve O! ^_^  
  
#3. For those of who are going "Huh? What Guardian are you talking about?" I have the answers:  
Just like my Clow Reed theory, I've always thought it kinda weird that Sakura captures the cards, changes them, and that's the end of it. Wouldn't it be cool if they cards were for her to use in another task that she has to fulfill? (Would make a great 4th season storyline, no? ^^) In this fic, I made it so she had to capture the cards for a reason. Which is her job of being the new 'Guardian' in place of Clow.   
  
Hey, if she's going to receive a good amount of his magic through the Clow Cards, why not a portion of his responsibility?  
  
#4. The BGM for this chapter is KKJ! The last scene when Sakura introduced herself is a perfect place to start Shazna's "Piece of Love."   
  
#5. Thanks for reading again! [Hoshi_no_Tenshi@hotmail.com] Onegaiiiiiii~ I need mail!! ;_; and reviews! Lots and lotsa reviews! 


	3. Awakening With New Powers

That Time Old Feeling  
By Hoshi Tenshi  
  
~Chapter 2~  
[Awakening With New Powers]  
  
Syaoran bowed back uncertainly and replied, "Li Syaoran. Yoroshiku ne, Kinomoto-san."   
  
She smiled brightly. "Just 'Sakura,' if you please, Li-san."   
  
"Of course, as long as you call me 'Syaoran.' "   
  
Sakura giggled. "Hai, Syaoran-kun." She tried to step forward, letting go of the tree trunk, only to cry out in pain and fall to the grass.   
  
Syaoran rushed to her side and knelt. "Are you all right?" he asked.   
  
"Daijoubu, Syaoran-kun." She waved away his concern and tried to stand up again, only to fall back down immediately. "Then again..."  
  
Syaoran pushed her gently back down and felt around her reddish left ankle. It didn't feel broken, but it was badly sprained. He quickly looked around for something to hold her ankle in place.   
Grabbing a nearby branch on the ground, he snapped it in half. When he dropped the other part on the grass, he saw something reflect in the sunlight.   
  
Syaoran shifted the branch to his left hand, and picked up the little object that seemed to be a necklace-- and immediately dropped it again. "What the...?" A jolt had gone through his body the moment he touched it.   
  
"Daijoubu?" Sakura was watching his curiously.  
  
"Aa," he replied sheepishly. Preparing himself for a small shock this time, he picked up the trinket again. Sure enough, he felt a strong tingling spread up his arms and down his body. *What the hell is this thing?* He narrowed his eyes and examined it carefully.   
  
All he could see was that it was a small key, topped off with the shape of a bird's head. "Is this yours?" he asked Sakura.   
  
Her eyes were still on him intently, confusion in her eyes. "Un. Last thing I remember is that I was on a tree limb...and I dropped the necklace. When I tried to grab it before it fell, I dropped along with it instead--" She paused, searching Syaoran's expression.   
  
"...'Last thing I remember,' " Syaoran echoed, letting the question hang.   
  
Sakura grinned sheepishly. "That sounds pretty weird, doesn't it?" she asked tentatively.   
  
Syaoran shook his head. "That's all right." *Maybe this girl has amnesia. Can falling out of a tree do that to you?* he thought to himself. "And the next thing that happened was that I came along?" he asked, twirling the small branch absently.   
  
She nodded in response, and Syaoran frowned slightly. She didn't seem to be lying...but there was no doubt that this charm of hers wasn't a normal necklace. He wondered if it was something more powerful than it seemed. However, there was no aura of magic around Sakura-- or at least, he couldn't feel one.  
  
"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura's voice brought him back.  
  
"Nanda? Oh, your necklace," he stammered. He could imagine how dumb must look standing there, staring at a piece of jewelry. "Here." Syaoran bent over to hand it over.  
  
"Arigatou."   
  
As soon as Syaoran's hand holding the necklace touched Sakura's fingers, both felt a spark.   
Without warning, a huge light burst forth and enclosed them. Equally bewildered as to what was going on, they watched the glare of the harsh light surrounding them in dumbstruck awe.   
  
"What's happening, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura yelled over the roar of the humming atmosphere.   
  
"I'm not s--" He was cut off in his reply as beams of light began flashing on and off from both of them-- endless numbers of the rays that continued to appear, each beam gathering in between their bodies. The burning sensation didn't hurt, but they felt the steady blaze grow until everything went white.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Clow looked away as the floating tapestry before him blazed to life. "You will be receiving your new powers now...along with the burden of Card mistress." His eyes hardened. "Forgive me."  
  
Cerberus felt himself rise into the air gradually, glowing a dull yellow. He was being shed of his master's powers now, and being accepted into his new mistresses'.   
  
Before he was enveloped completely, he saw-- or rather heard --Yue rush in.   
  
"What is the meaning of--" He too started glowing and levitating in the air without aid of his wings. "CLOW!" A cocoon of wings muffled his yell.   
  
"Be good to your new mistress; Cerberus, Yue." Clow Reed forced one last smile for his precious creations.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Syaoran felt Sakura's hand wrap around his right arm awkwardly. He forced his eyes open to meet Sakura's green orbs sparkling with unshed tears. There wasn't any exchange of words, but he returned her frightened gaze and gave a brisk nod reassuringly. She still didn't relax her unyielding grip on Syaoran's arm.   
  
Suddenly, with all the abrupt force of a shotgun, Syaoran was thrown backwards. He found himself sprawled on the grass, while Sakura remained above ground.   
  
*Damn it! If I had been more cautious with that weird necklace...* Syaoran thought.  
  
Running back towards the huge glowing ball of light, he looked up to sought her gaze. He saw that the girl was unconscious. "Kuso..." he grumbled under his breath, clenching his fists. He started and looked down at his hands, remembering that he was still holding onto the branch and necklace-- his fingers felt so numb, that he hadn't even thought of them until he had closed his fists.  
  
Sakura looked much calmer now. Her eyes were closed, long lashes making two crescent shadows on her cheeks. In the next split second, she was suddenly surrounded by another flash of light. This time, light pink.   
  
Syaoran felt the aura of this light, softer, but even stronger than the white one. It was surprisingly comforting. As if in a trance, he approached the hovering body slowly. If the necklace had anything to do with all this...one way to find out. He opened his finger to hold out the small figure at arm's length.  
  
Sure enough, the necklace and Syaoran himself were pulled into the pink glow.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
From inside the warm cavity of their wings, both Cerberus and Yue felt new power surrounding them. It was fresh and clean, not as familiar and worn as Clow's powers, but just as warm, nonetheless.   
  
*Sayonara, Clow. I hope you know what you're doing,* Cerberus thought, picturing his master smiling at him. Sakura would be a wonderful mistress, he had thought so seven years ago, and his mind hadn't changed yet.   
  
Yue wrapped his arms tighter around his shoulders, trying to forget the memories of the Judgment battle he had fought seven years ago. In all honesty, actually...he had been the only one fighting.   
  
*So, this is what was meant to be. It was all a charade. That girl was meant to be our mistress all the way from the start...if it wasn't for the death of that miko...*   
  
Yue relaxed his arms and surrendered to a new kind of rebirth.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Once again, he found himself in the air. He now saw where the pink light was coming from. *From...her,* he realized. *Masaka... She couldn't be a sorceress, could she?* Now at eye-level with her, he gazed intently at her face.   
  
Before he could try and wake her up, Syaoran felt a burning in his hands, and with a startled gasp, he let go of the items he had been holding. The necklace-- and the branch, also --floated in front of Syaoran.  
  
He noted with grim satisfaction that he had been correct; he could feel vast amounts of energy suppressed within the small trinket. It was struggling-- as if the power was fighting to come undone from its restraining bonds. At the same time, it was being...tamed? Something-- or someone was manipulating it.   
  
Syaoran didn't even need to look at Sakura to know the answer. *She's maneuvering the branch and necklace with her own powers...but why?*   
  
As if in reply to his question, her eyes snapped open. Before he could do or say anything, she started to whisper an incantation.   
  
"Key that hides the forces of darkness, show your true shape to me." Her voice grew stronger as she went on. "Powers of the guardian Star, awaken in me now, through this new wand!"  
  
Syaoran could only stare dumbly. He barely noticed that he had landed softly on the grass alone.  
  
"I, Sakura has roused to my call, and under contract of a new mistress, I command you, Release!!" She ended with a yell, and Syaoran had to shield his eyes from the powerful illumination that followed.   
  
Meanwhile, in the air, Sakura watched as the key grew along with the branch, to shape her star staff. The release key grew larger, and the branch smoothened and lengthened to form the base handle. It spun steadily in the air, and Sakura brought her hand down to the long pink staff. With a huge whoosh of air, her power gathered to a concentrated point and entered the star on top of the staff.   
  
Finished, Sakura let out a sigh of relief, and the glazed look went out of her eyes. Back on the ground again, she wordlessly offered Syaoran a hand to him with a soft smile, and automatically, he took it.   
  
As her slim fingers captured his own, he felt a warmth start from the tips of his fingers. The heat spread slowly across his entire body, which was tingling-- as if it had been anticipating her touch for a very long time.   
  
His mind cleared, as if a gentle hand was silencing all his wild thoughts quietly.   
  
In his newly calmed mind, the flashbacks came. They were so strong, it was almost painful. They filled his mind, conquering his thoughts entirely.   
[Flash]  
Growing up under the watchful but caring eyes of the Elders and the Li clan.   
[Flash]  
Learning and training under his mother and sisters and growing up under their protection.  
[Flash]  
Meeting Sakura for the first time, him glaring, and her nervously returning his gaze.  
[Flash]   
Feeling a twinge of sadness when she asked if he was lonely since he lived all alone.  
[Flash]   
Loneliness in his empty apartment. Wanting to go home, but also not wanting to disappoint.  
[Flash]   
Sitting with Sakura that star-filled night, when his heart beat faster at her smile for the first time.  
[Flash]  
Discovering new feelings that no amount of training could have prepared him for.  
[Flash]  
The emptiness he felt after losing his one-- and possibly his first --friend.  
  
As every little detail of his life up until now came rushing back to him, Syaoran's vague past came into focus. The huge white blank in his mind filled with images of his life and family. He remembered hot summers filled with humidity that were cooled with ice cream and gentle breezes. He remembered cold winters that he kept warm during within the tight circle of his sisters.  
  
Hungrily, he drank in the images-- like a white canvas soaking up different colors of paint. Every moment was precious and every memory cherished. How had he _lived_ without remembering all this happiness? How had he almost forgotten his won family? He made a quick mental note to call his mother and sisters as soon as he got home.  
  
Slowly, the flashbacks wound down, and he floated back into consciousness. "Sakura?" Syaoran murmured. More of a statement then a question. He already knew she was back, but he just wanted to hear her own voice confirming it.  
  
The familiar voice answered him. "Hai, Syaoran-kun. Who else would it be?" Sakura ran towards him on her newly healed ankle and launched into his arms, expecting to be caught.   
  
Her expectations weren't in vain-- Syaoran caught her easily and twirled her around. "I can't believe it. It's really, truly, you..." he laughed, helplessly encircling her in his arms.  
  
"Well, believe it. I'm the real thing," she quipped, her voice a bit muffled by Syaoran's embrace.   
  
Burying his face in her hair, he reveled in a rare moment of emotion. Never had he ever hugged someone so vigorously, but just this once, he thought he could get away with it without tarnishing his reputation.  
  
"Tadaima, Syoran-kun," Sakura said softly. "I finally found my way home."  
  
"Okaeri, Sakura... Welcome back."  
  
[End of Chapter 2]  
  
AN: #1. Ossu minna! =] Happy ending for this chapter! But doesn't mean it ends here...it's only the beginning~ ^^ I'm gonna torture this couple so much later on...XP  
  
#2. I did major Sakura-glorifying this chapter... I couldn't help it! She's one of my favorite chara~ she deserved a whole lights and transformation-type sequence scene for once! Usagi-chan always has those...at least twice every season, so why not our Sakura-chan? ^_^  
  
#3. If this chapter was a anime episode, it would have been very pretty...unfortunately, it's not. So I tried to describe things as best I could...but it's just one of those things that has to be drawn...not written...XP So I'm sorry if anyone didn't like the quality of this chapter... I didn't like it either! ~_~  
  
#4. BGM for this chapter? Hehe...Inu-Yasha!! I was listening to "My Will" throughout it's writing... so I think it should be appropriate...thank you Lecto-chan~ you know why...^^  
  
#5. "-- as if it had been anticipating her touch for a very long time." ::squeal:: I really liked that one part. ^^ Syaoran 'anticipating' her touch... X]  
  
#6. ::taps foot impatiently:: Now come on, minna-chan... You guys really hate this series that much? I really want more reviews... Please?  
  
#7. [Hoshi_no_Tenshi@hotmail.com] Mail is always appreciated and answered! FF.net readers~ REVIEW! 


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